“Look a-here, Rob. I kinder cotton to you. You look square, an' ye talk square. All the same I ain't going ter be bamboozled outer my racket for to-night. Do you know what I'm a-goin' ter do?”
“No.”
“I'm going ter tie ye up an' take ye along with us, see? You kin stay in ther boat while Rattler an' me do the biz. Tie him Rattler.”
Chick obeyed, silently binding stout cords around the river thief's wrists and ankles, while Nick menaced him with the revolver.
A gag was thrust into the prisoner's mouth, notwithstanding the resistance he offered, and then, utterly helpless, he was thrust into the bottom of the boat.
“Shove off!” again ordered Nick. This time there was no interruption, and the boat was quickly in the river.
They headed straight for the open bay. “Curse this place, anyhow!” growled Nick, when they had been running nearly a half hour, and speaking for the benefit of the man who was bound. “If this was the Schuylkill I'd know where I was.”
“We'll find it,” replied Chick. “Maybe we will, an' agin, maybe we won't!”
“Close by the statue, ain't it?”
“Yes.”